ANCIENT PERSIA: A CONCISE HISTORY OF THE ACHAEMENID EMPIRE, 550-330 BCE PDF, EPUB, EBOOK Matt Waters | 274 pages | 20 Jan 2014 | CAMBRIDGE UNIVERSITY PRESS | 9780521253697 | English | Cambridge, United Kingdom Ancient Persia: A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550-330 BCE PDF Book The Achaemenid Empire takes its name from Achaemenes, the eponymous founder of the dynasty. The history of ancient Iran stretches back millennia. A clear and enjoyable primer on the Persian empire. The Murashu archive helps us understand how military obligations were fulfilled. Jewish exiles from Babylonia returned to Jerusalem and rebuilt the temple that had been sacked by the Babylonian king NebuchadnezzarII in Apr 16, Michael Cayley rated it liked it Shelves: history. Parsa, more specifically equivalent with modern Fars, is dominated by the southern part of the Zagros Mountains — a chain running northwest to southeast across western Iran — save for the coastal region along the Persian Gulf and the low- lying plains of Khuzistan, wherein is found the ancient city of Susa. Xerxes, the expander of the realm 8. Get A Copy. The former could be granted as long as it did not contravene the latter. Moving eastward beyond the Zagros one encounters the Iranian Plateau and the forbidding salt deserts of central Iran. Some scholars have ingeniously reconciled joint Athenian and Persian claims on much of western Anatolia by assuming that the city-states in question paid tribute not only to Athens — which is attested to varying degrees through the latter half of the fifth century — but also to the Persian satrap. This is not only filial piety but such works were expected of any king. These documents typically reveal more about socioeconomic history than political history, yet thoughtful analysis offers insight into the political as well. There were obviously other and, on the face of it, equally qualified Achaemenid claimants: sons of Artaxerxes by women other than his primary wife, Damaspia. Of course, the Persians were well versed in Greek affairs — in this case the enmity between Athens and Sparta — and this mission reveals an attempt to create a strategic distraction: a Spartan invasion of Athens might have compelled the Athenian forces in Egypt to withdraw. An acknowledgement of Persian control of western Anatolia was paramount. Jay Fisher rated it really liked it May 07, Continued Spartan ambivalence about their negotiating partner Tissaphernes led them to consider cooperating with another satrap, Pharnabazus, in Dascylium. Timeline Appendix B. The work itself is set up in a chronological manner, We learn of the emergence of the Empire with Cyrus the Great's rise to power. In general, it is safe to assume that the King never relinquished his claim on his Ionian holdings, and that the satraps were given freedom — indeed, probably were expected — to contest Athenian inroads there at every opportunity. This type of text situates the Achaemenid kings within a long continuum of Near Eastern history. Much of the most recent material consists of specialist papers in edited conference volumes, which while valuable can be difficult for beginners to penetrate and for teachers to use as class set texts. To see what your friends thought of this book, please sign up. Jan 17, Steven Peterson rated it really liked it. Did this actually happen as Herodotus tells it? Pradeep rated it did not like it Mar 17, For instance, it is only at the end that one learns about Babylonian and Biblical traditions of the Medes as a major power. Forerunners of the Achaemenids: the first half of the first millennium BCE 3. According to both Diodorus The choice of these three languages, and their linguistic variety, testifies to important aspects of royal ideology and tradition. One of the key problems in knowing the nature of this Empire is the dependence on such sources as the Greeks and scripture. Primarily, its value was symbolic. Persia seems particularly interesting for how you can run a state of numerous ethnicities. Not enough of these are extant, however, to enable writing a narrative account. The endnotes contain a wealth of valuable references, but they are few in number and can feel arbitrary e. Excavation techniques have advanced since the nineteenth century, from what may generously be termed as mining operations for luxury goods, monuments, and inscriptions: the types of finds that would garner attention in museums. The so-called Alexander historians, those who traveled with Alexander the Great during his conquest of the Persian Empire in the s and s BCE, are also noteworthy. It adds little to our understanding of the history of the period but continues to be mined for social and cultural insights about the Persians. That and the endless use of the toothbrush in all seasons. A very nicely done work. As is often noted, but bears repeating, ancient historians cannot choose their sources. From these he deftly weaves the story of this first Persian Empire, from their origins in the early Iron Age groups of Iran through to the take over of their vast territory by Alexander the Great, integrating into it the character of the sources. Guess why things went right for the Greeks? Some of the estates that the Murashu managed especially larger ones that were gifts of the King were state controlled, granted to various individuals for their use, and in some cases profit, in return for services to the King. They at times provide details about members of the extended royal family and other elites who oversaw a complex and centralized bureaucracy. Ancient Persia: A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550-330 BCE Writer Most scholars take this to mean the Mosaic law code, even if they differ on the extent of its implementation. Enlarge cover. As noted above, the mainland Greeks lived in the shadow of the great Empire. Phaselis was a coastal city in Lycia in southwestern Anatolia, and Cyaneae or Kyaneai at the northern end of the Bosporus, where it enters the Black Sea. Many are referenced either in the further reading or endnotes. The Persepolis Treasury and Persepolis Fortification tablets pp. Main Menu. Mar 21, Jameel Haque rated it it was ok Shelves: books-in Type and content vary, from state archival material to records of private businessmen who contracted with the crown and private individuals. Sort order. Beginning in BCE, much of the Aegean world was involved in the war between Athens and Sparta and their respective allies. Many of these groups dwelled in what are now the countries of Kazakhstan, Turkmenistan, Uzbekistan, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and India. Then it shall become known to you that the Persian man has given battle far away from Persia. Terse chronicles record significant military or building activities of the kings. Many of these traditions and the languages in which they were transmitted are poorly-understood, some are simply lost. This mostly-lost work was extremely influential in antiquity, but what remains is in many ways disappointing. The only real deficiency, though, is the limited secondary references. An inscription on a silver drinking bowl lists the standard titles: great king, king of kings, and king of lands. One example of Persian diplomacy demonstrates their ingenuity. That such records do not provide us with narrative history is unfortunate, but these are the very kinds of records least likely to do so. To the Greeks we are indebted for western notions of history-writing and historiography. Proper excavation is both meticulous and laborious, and publication of results may take many years. The Odeion was modeled on the tent used by Xerxes during the invasion of Greece. I also enjoyed the As another review said, this is a very good primer. As with many ancient peoples, records of the past were kept alive through oral tradition. A great deal more effort and resources were therefore devoted in Mesopotamia to controlling the flooding of these rivers via irrigation. Before the advent of Islam in the seventh century CE, it included the histories of not only the Achaemenids but also their predecessors the Elamites and their successors the Seleucids, Parthians, and Sassanians. The emphasis is very much on the Persians' dealings with the Greeks. A very nicely done work. Any long-term Athenian designs on the island seem unlikely, because Athens did not have the resources for sustained imperial pursuits. Limited space means some skimming here too: one would like a bit more detail on the remains of some of the capitals Susa, for instance. He wrote his history, and notably read excerpts of it aloud to live audiences at Athens and elsewhere, in the late s and s BCE, a bitter and bloody period of Greek history in the initial stages of the Peloponnesian War. In the fourth century BC, what seem like constant rebellions attested in Greek sources are not necessarily an indication of an empire in decline, but a more or less continuous feature of such a large empire. This tour-de-force is a must- have for scholars and the interested public alike. Unparalleled in its clear and concise discussion, Ancient Persia draws on rich textual, visual, and archaeological sources to convey a cogent overview of the systems, places, and people who made up the Persian Empire. Erdal rated it really liked it Apr 25, For while many Spartan ambassadors had come, they never said the same thing. The Achaemenid Empire a name derived to establish legitimacy of the dynasty was the major power on the planet at that time--only to be overthrown by Alexander the Great and his Macedonian led forces. Notes 1. The practice was not unique to Babylonia. Ancient Persia: A Concise History of the Achaemenid Empire, 550-330 BCE Reviews Thucydides refers to a momentous defeat in which most of the Athenian forces were destroyed.